# US 11,112,168 B2 · Inventory indication mechanism utilizing visual indicia

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- Number: US 11,112,168 B2
- Document ID: US11112168B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/176,192
- Filed: 2018-10-31
- Published: 2020-04-30
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-31
- Assignees: Whirlpool Corporation
- Applicants: Whirlpool Corporation
- Inventors: Victor Carlotto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112168B2

## CPC

- F25D 27/005: {combined with control means}
- F25D 11/02: with cooling compartments at different temperatures
- F25D 31/007: {Bottles or cans}
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- F25D 2331/803: Bottles
- F25D 2500/06: Stock management
- F25D 2700/123: more than one sensor measuring the inside temperature in a compartment
- F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A refrigerating appliance includes a cabinet that defines an interior cavity. A temperature sensing network monitors a temperature stratification of the interior cavity. The temperature stratification includes a plurality of temperature levels that correspond to respective locations of the interior cavity. A controller is configured to receive an input related to an item to be stored. The controller is further configured to compare the input with the temperature stratification. The controller is further configured to identify a primary storage location of the item to be stored based upon a comparison of the input and the plurality of temperature levels of the temperature stratification. A visual indicia is disposed within the interior cavity and coupled to the controller. The visual indicia activates to identify the primary storage location of the item to be stored.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A refrigerating appliance comprising:
a cabinet that defines a continuous interior cavity that extends from a base of the cabinet to a top portion of the cabinet;
a temperature sensing network that monitors a temperature stratification of the continuous interior cavity, wherein the temperature stratification includes a plurality of temperature levels that correspond to respective vertical and lateral locations of the continuous interior cavity;
a controller that is configured to receive an input related to an item to be stored, wherein the controller is further configured to compare the input with the temperature stratification corresponding to the respective vertical and lateral locations of the continuous interior cavity, and wherein the controller is further configured to identify a primary storage location of the item to be stored based upon a comparison of the input and the plurality of temperature levels of the temperature stratification;
a plurality of vents that are selectively operable to provide cool air to specific locations within the continuous interior cavity, wherein the plurality of temperature levels of the temperature stratification are selectively adjustable based upon the input and an availability of the primary storage location, wherein the vertical and lateral locations of the temperature stratification are selectively adjustable using the plurality of vents to adjust a size of the primary storage location within the continuous interior cavity;
a plurality of shelves, wherein vertical dividers extend between vertically adjacent shelves of the plurality of shelves to define the temperature stratification in a lateral direction with respect to each shelf of the plurality of shelves; and
a visual indicia disposed within the continuous interior cavity and coupled to the controller, wherein the visual indicia identifies the primary storage location of the item to be stored.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, wherein the visual indicia includes a plurality of lights, and wherein at least one light of the plurality of lights selectively activates to highlight the primary storage location.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 2, wherein the visual indicia selectively highlights the primary storage location by at least partially darkening areas of the continuous interior cavity adjacent to the primary storage location.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 2, wherein the visual indicia selectively highlights the primary storage location by performing an animation using the plurality of lights, wherein the animation is directed to the primary storage location.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 2, wherein the plurality of lights identify the primary storage location and also identify at least a secondary storage location by at least partially darkening areas of the continuous interior cavity adjacent to the primary storage location.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, further comprising a humidity regulating system, wherein the humidity regulating system maintains a substantially consistent preferred humidity level within each location of the respective locations of the continuous interior cavity.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 2, wherein the plurality of lights are at least partially disposed within each shelf of the plurality of shelves.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, wherein the item to be stored is a bottled alcoholic beverage and the input relates to an optimal range of storage temperatures.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 1, further comprising an inventory assessment module in communication with the controller, wherein the inventory assessment module monitors a current inventory of the continuous interior cavity, and wherein upon receipt of the input, the controller cooperates with the inventory assessment module and the temperature sensing network to determine a corresponding primary storage location for the item to be stored and stored items within the current inventory, wherein the controller is configured to present a recommendation to a user for redistributing the current inventory.

### Claim 10

A method of storing consumable items in a refrigerating appliance, comprising:
providing an input related to an item to be stored within a refrigerating cavity;
comparing the input with a temperature stratification of the refrigerating cavity, the temperature stratification having a plurality of temperature levels that correspond to respective vertical locations of the refrigerating cavity in a form of a plurality of shelves and lateral locations of the refrigerating cavity defined by vertical dividers that extend between vertically adjacent shelves of the plurality of shelves;
determining a primary storage location within the respective vertical and lateral locations of the refrigerating cavity based upon comparison of the input and the temperature stratification;
assessing a current inventory of stored items within the refrigerated interior in relation to the primary storage location;
activating a refrigerating system to increase a size of the primary storage location to be a modified primary storage location when the primary storage location is occupied by the current inventory, wherein the modified primary storage location is defined by a portion of the vertical dividers that define a lateral variation in the temperature stratification; and
activating a visual indicia highlighting the modified primary storage location within the respective vertical and lateral locations of the refrigerating cavity.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the item to be stored is a bottled alcoholic beverage and the input is an optimal range of storage temperatures for the bottled alcoholic beverage.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the temperature stratification includes the plurality of temperature levels that correspond to the respective vertical and lateral locations of the refrigerating cavity, wherein the lateral locations of the plurality of temperature levels are at least partially defined by vertical dividers positioned in relation to horizontal shelves of the refrigerating cavity.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the visual indicia includes a plurality of lights that selectively highlight the primary storage location and the modified primary storage location.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the visual indicia selectively highlights one of the primary storage location and the modified primary storage location by performing an animation using the plurality of lights, wherein the animation is directed to one of the primary storage location and the modified primary storage location.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising steps of:
assessing the current inventory of stored items within the refrigerated interior in relation to the primary storage location; and
activating the visual indicia highlighting a secondary storage location when the primary storage location is occupied by the current inventory, wherein the secondary storage location is based upon the input and the temperature stratification.

### Claim 16

A refrigerating appliance comprising:
a cabinet that defines a refrigerating cavity;
a temperature sensing network that maintains a temperature stratification of the refrigerating cavity, wherein the temperature stratification includes a plurality of different temperatures that correspond to respective vertical and lateral locations of the refrigerating cavity;
a humidification system that cooperates with the temperature sensing network to maintain a substantially consistent relative humidity throughout the temperature stratification of the refrigerating cavity;
a controller configured to receive an input related to an item to be stored, wherein the controller is further configured to compare the input with the temperature stratification to identify a primary storage location of the item to be stored within the temperature stratification, wherein a refrigerating system cooperates with the controller and the temperature sensing network to adjust a capacity of the primary storage location as a percentage of the refrigerating cavity, wherein the temperature stratification includes a plurality of temperature levels that are selectively adjustable based upon the input and an availability of the primary storage location, wherein the temperature stratification is selectively adjustable using a plurality of vents of the refrigerating system to adjust a size of the primary storage location, and wherein the temperature stratification is defined in a vertical direction by a plurality of shelves and wherein the temperature stratification is defined in a lateral direction by a plurality of vertical dividers; and
a lighting system that, in response to the input, selectively performs a predetermined lighting sequence based upon a location of the primary storage location within the respective vertical and lateral locations of the refrigerating cavity.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The refrigerating appliance of claim 16, wherein the item to be stored is a bottled alcoholic beverage and the input relates to an optimal range of storage temperatures.